SMAM: Super Bowl Edition

February 2, 2013

Happy Super Bowl weekend, Readers! I do realize that Sunday’s festivities are good reason to give yourself a free pass on the diet. Face it: football food is delicious! Deep-fried, festive deliciousness. Hard to resist those hot wings and potato skins and nachos and gooey, cheesy dips, isn’t it?

In fact, a few years back, I read somewhere (dang, why is my memory so shitty?) that people actually consume more calories on Super Bowl Sunday than they do at Thanksgiving! I think beer consumption definitely plays a part in that statistic, but you have to admit, that’s kind of surprising.

And yet not, if you really think about it. Thanksgiving dinner only takes an hour or two and people sit down at a table, pausing to chew and converse. It’s a civilized, albeit caloric affair. The Super Bowl? It’s a five-hour (more if you follow all of the pre-game hoopla) Swill-and-Munch-Fest.

Super Bowl food is so cute, is it not? Tiny hot wings, mini-pigs-in-blankets, bbq sliders…little morsels you can just pop in your mouth as you cheer and swill booze and not even realize how many you’ve eaten. Plus, there are those handy commercial breaks interrupting the game, allowing you time to haul ass and re-fuel before the next snap.

Forgive me. I do not mean to kill your buzz about Super Bowl Sunday. Feel free to indulge and enjoy every minute of it. I’ll be shoving guacamole down my gullet in mass quantities, so I am not one to judge. Not at all.

But can I make one leeeetle suggestion? If jalapeno poppers are on your game day roster, try this recipe for grilled jalapeno poppers instead? I posted this recipe a few years ago, but I’m running it again because it’s a keeper. These little guys are so delicious and satisfying that you won’t miss the dip in the deep fryer. Promise.

And don’t think that I’m little Miss Virtuous, because my Super Bowl menu is as follows:

Libations

Homemade guacamole/chips

Spiced grilled shrimp

Cheese board/hummus/veggies

Grilled jalapeno poppers

Jambalaya (hey, the game is in N’Awlin’s y’all!) with shrimp, andouille sausage and chicken

Big fat green salad

Libations

So yeah, I’ll be indulging a bit, but then it’s on to SMAM, the February edition. February is usually one of my dark months, so it will be a challenge not to assuage my winter blues in giant bowls of mashed potatoes and buttered rice. I’m going to give it a shot, though. And I’ll be eating this poppers. No guilt allowed.

Have a terrific weekend, whether you enjoy football or would rather get a root canal than watch the game. GO BRONCOS!! Oh, wait…

Grilled Stuffed Jalapeno Chilis

slightly adapted from Bobby Flay

serves 6

4 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature

2 oz. soft goat cheese

1 1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat white or yellow cheddar cheese*

2 green onions (green and pale-green part), thinly sliced

few dashes ground cumin and hot sauce

salt and black pepper

12 large jalapeno chilis, halved lengthwise, stemmed and seeded

1 heaping tablespoon ancho chili powder

Heat grill to medium.

Whisk together the cream cheese and goat cheese in a medium bowl until smooth. Fold in the cheddar, green onions, cumin and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Fill each jalapeno half with about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture; sprinkle the top with ancho powder.

Place chilis on the grill (or use a grill basket, if preferred), filling-side up, and cook until slightly charred and tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.

**Cabot brand or Cracker Barrel reduced-fat, block cheese only, please. Otherwise, just run a few extra laps and use the full-fat stuff.

Love the game (even though it is not between Broncos and Vikes) and LOVE the food. In fact, if I were in FOCO with family, I would be tempted to ditch them and drive over to your place to indulge in those foods! How fabulous.

And, yes to the commercials – each year I am astounded at what they cost.